Dumpling
by lady-ribbon
Summary: Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows. -Ivan..I wish you'd stay little forever.- Yao, little!Ivan one-shot R/R


**Title – **Dumpling

**Summary – **The child raised his eyebrows and poked the ball curiously with a tiny finger; he made a hissing noise before jamming his finger into his mouth, and frown on his round face. A Yao and little!Ivan oneshot.

Review or Chibi Ivan will freeze ;[

**Update -** _Thank you _**Kurodatenshi **_for correcting the Chinese. _

_

* * *

__Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows._

_

* * *

_

**Dumpling**

Big lavender eyes stared eagerly over Yao's knee at the container which was steaming cheerfully over the small fire.

Yao glanced at the small child leaning over him, and repressed a laugh at the sight of plump red cheeks and a button nose sniffing eagerly at the delicious smell filling the cold winter air. A mop of silvery hair stuck out from all sides under a huge fur hat that was slipping over the child's eyes; he impatiently pushed it back with tiny hands, and looked at Yao curiously, a question in his eyes.

Yao nodded, and the child clapped his hands together excitedly, a small laugh escaping his rosy mouth. His hands rested on Yao's knee as he leaned close to the flames, watching him remove the steaming pot and place it on the snow. The child's eyes widened as Yao removed the lid, letting the steam escape into the biting air, before handing him a small bowl and a white, squishy-looking ball.

The child raised his eyebrows and poked the ball curiously with a tiny finger; he made a hissing noise before jamming his finger into his mouth, a frown on his round face.

Yao laughed at him, but the child only frowned deeper and putting the bowl on the ground, waddled up to Yao and started hitting his knee, a look of determination across his chubby features. Yao sighed; he knew what the child wanted. He'd had experience in these matters with Japan–although Japan rarely did this sort of thing- and Korea who used to need a comforting hug and some 'fussing' at least eight times a day. But this child; this small little child from the icy land up North was different. He didn't just stand next to Yao and look at him coldly when he wanted a hug; nor did he cry or scream loudly to get his attention. He simply _demanded_ that Yao pick him up whether he wanted to or not. And he did this without saying a word. They had stopped trying to communicate verbally with each other some time ago; instead using hand signs or some other physical sign to get each others attention.

Yao rolled his eyes, but leaned down to pick up the child, who immediately snuggled close to him, burying one hand in Yao's long hair, and sticking the other out in front of Yao's face. Yao raised one eyebrow, but pretended to ignore the hand, and turned away from the child, hiding a smile on his face. He heard a small, pathetic whimper, but still ignored him – that is until he felt a hard tug on the back of his head, and felt his long hair fall free from the tie that usually held it back.

He turned around frowning, about to scold the little one, but the child was giggling at him, small fingers running through the dark hair spilling over his shoulder.

"Мягкий, mягкий!" the child giggled, giving gentle tugs on his hair.

" 什麼?" Yao questioned, forgetting the child couldn't understand him. He cocked his head to the side, wondering what the child was babbling about with such enthusiasm. The child stopped giggling, watching him closely, innocent eyes widening slightly.

"Вы Довольно." The child said slowly, looking at him like he never had before. He clutched the top of his cloak urgently, and said again, this time a little louder, "Вы Довольно!" Yao felt that he was missing something the child really wanted to say to him, to let him know, but he couldn't figure out what it was. The child looked frustrated; his face a little tired, and Yao could see the lavender eyes grow a little watery at the edges. Sensing a rare tantrum coming on, Yao quickly grabbed the small finger that the child had burnt a little earlier, and brought it to his lips. Kissing it, he said gently, "吶,不痛了."

The child sniffed a few times, but a wobbly looking smile spread across his face, and he leaned forward, giving Yao a hug. Yao hugged him back, cuddling the small, pudgy boy in his arms. He smelled like snow; fresh, clean and innocent. Yao closed his eyes savoring the moment; many years had thought him that they all grew up too soon after all.

_Much too soon…_

They stayed like that for a while, huddled against each other, and warmed by the fire burning slowly at their backs. Soon, the child's fast breath slowed down to be replaced by slow, gentle breathing. His little hands slipped from Yao's neck and fell down to his sides limply. Smiling wistfully, Yao whispered to the child sleeping peacefully in his arms.

"真希望你永遠都不要長大呢,小傢伙."

Yao held him close as the cold wind whistled savagely across the barren landscape, making sure the fur hat was pulled snuggly over his ears. His eyes dimmed for a moment, thinking quietly of the _other_ children who had once sat upon his lap, but who now would never do so again. He hugged the little boy tighter, and for a moment in the distance, a quiet, small child with silky black hair, and another with messy chestnut brown smiled at him before they faded into the sharp winter sunlight.

_They didn't even look back._

Shaking his head, Yao reached down and picked up the container, then stood up and kicked snow all over the dying fire. He glanced back one more time as if looking for something before he began the long walk back to his house, the little boy still fast asleep in his arms.

_"…永遠..."_

A lone dumpling lay forgotten on the wintry ground; frozen and as cold as ice.

* * *

Мягкий – soft

什麼 - what

Вы – you're

Довольно - pretty

吶,不痛了 – there, all better

真希望你永遠都不要長大呢,小傢伙– I wish you would always stay young, little one.

永遠 - always


End file.
